Swaziland: New Study Documents Rape's Grim Toll

A new study by CDC and UNICEF researchers details the consequences of rape for young females in Swaziland.

The authors accessed data from a nationally representative sample of females ages 13-24 in selected households surveyed between May 15 and June 16, 2007. The questionnaire asked respondents about sexual violence experienced prior to age 18, the circumstances of the attack, and health-related results. Data from 1,242 females were included.

Among respondents, 33.2 percent reported an incident of sexual violence before they reached age 18. Most commonly named as perpetrators were males from the respondent's neighborhood (32.3 percent) and boyfriends or husbands (26.2 percent). The first incident most often occurred in the victim's own home (26.1 percent). Sexual violence victims had higher lifetime risks of STDs, pregnancy complications, unwanted pregnancy, and depression.

"Knowledge of the high prevalence of sexual violence against girls in Swaziland and its associated serious health-related conditions and behaviors should be used to develop effective prevention strategies," the authors concluded.

An accompanying editorial noted that Swaziland's HIV prevalence of 26 percent is among the world's highest, and the persistent myth that an infected man can be "cleansed" by sex with a virgin puts girls especially at risk.

The study, "Sexual Violence and Its Health Consequences for Female Children in Swaziland: A Cluster Survey Study," and the editorial, "Understanding Childhood Sexual Abuse in Africa," were published in the Lancet (2009; doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(09)60247 and doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(09)60344-5).

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